Evaluation of a video training program's impact on primary teachers’ knowledge of allergies and skills in using an adrenaline autoinjector during the 2021–2022 school year

Aim

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of a video training program (VTP) on primary school teachers’ skills in using an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI), in correlation with knowledge regarding allergies, in cases of anaphylaxis.

Methods

A questionnaire on teachers' knowledge of allergies and on their level of confidence in using an AAI was distributed in primary schools in the French department of Manche (2173 teachers). A VTP followed this questionnaire. A second questionnaire was then distributed. Theoretical knowledge was assessed with a score out of 20. The confidence level was rated on a scale from 1 to 4.

Results

We collected 218 responses to the first questionnaire (10.0 % of the population included). The response rate to the second questionnaire was 4.7 % (103 participants), and from this group, 93 of the 103 participants viewed the video (90.3 %). Overall, 76 of the 218 (34.9 %) participants who completed the first questionnaire also completed the second questionnaire and watched the VTP. The number of participants who completed the whole survey was 76 (out of 2173, 3.5 %). The VTP significantly improved teachers' knowledge of the subject of allergies (the average score increased by 2.11 points, p < 0.001) as well as their confidence in recognizing the signs of a severe allergic reaction and in using an AAI: 85.4 % (n = 88) of self-confident teachers after the VTP versus 42.3 % (n = 92) before the VTP (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The VTP improved teachers’ level of knowledge and confidence in using an AAI in cases of anaphylaxis. A similar VTP could be circulated more widely in schools to offer easy access to training tools about allergies.